And how it affects the Combat Catalyst

The Intimidation skill in the book doesn't really convey the necessary mechanics to handle scary characters in my view. Instead I have it as a bonus to a Natural Intimidation between two people. This is based on three things, whether the person is armed when you aren't, whether they are physically larger than you, and whether they are a different race than you. Bonuses from each of these three things are added to a base value and any ranks in the Intimidation skill that the character has. Conveniently it also fits in with Fear system in the MRB.

Base intimidation value is 3. Bonuses applicable to this are;
+1 if they are armed and you are not
+1 if they are a different race than you (even between Frothers and Humans)
+1 if they are physically larger than you (ie higher PHYS)
This base intimidation can also be used where a Fear factor is required, ie a gun-toting Stormer who intimidates a Human has a Fear of 6, which ties in with the Fear examples in the MRB (p114).

Implementation with the Combat Catalyst

An attempt to Intimidate a foe can made prior to the Catalyst with the desire being to through someone off balance temporarily and cause them to be further penalised. The person being intimidated rolls their Intimidation skill +base intimidation +-any rep -opponents COOL that may be applicable. For every point over 10 their opponent is at -1 to react to the Catalyst. Any opponents who are immune to COOL rolls ignore this attempt to Intimidate them.

Example 3:

Ms Winters a female I&I Operative is talking to a small gang of Kiestas accompanied by her Death Squad bodyguard Chapel. Chapel is a Brain Waster and is getting increasingly bored with the way the conversation is going. He decides to liven things up by shooting the leader in the thigh with his FEN 603 after first intimidating the leader. Chapel has a base Intimidation of 5 (3+1 for higher PHYS +1 for alien race).

He rolls 2d10 +Base Intimidation +Intimidation -Gang leader's COOL and gets a 14. If the leader tries to out draw him he will be at -4 to do it. Chapel rolls his DEX roll and gets 17. Anyone except the gang leader trying to beat his preliminary attack has to beat 17 on a Detect and DEX roll. The intimidated gang leader has to beat 21.

More information about the Combat Catalyst is available here.